The Ghost Girl

On the eastern side of Nightless Island, atop the East Island where Miketsu and Shuten-doji were facing off, the destruction to the island had momentarily eased because both sides had changed the rules of engagement, eliminating the outbursts of demonic energy. Even so, the fighting between the two remained incredibly fierce. At the center of the deserted island, a continuous series of massive booms echoed out.

A piercing gale from a fist grazed past her. Miketsu, having narrowly dodged the punch, swung her blade directly at Shuten-doji’s face. Shuten-doji used his other hand to block the slash with his bare flesh. His legs were driven deep into the soil, but Miketsu had already anticipated this. She immediately raised her foot and delivered a kick to Shuten-doji’s abdomen, forcing him back several steps.

"Ugh..."

Seizing the opportunity, Miketsu followed up with a flurry of attacks. Holding her sword with both hands, she stepped forward with a horizontal slash. The Demonic Fang Blade struck Shuten-doji just as he had steadied himself, knocking him back several more steps until he was nearly at the boundary line. Just as Shuten-doji regained his footing, Miketsu’s next combo arrived. This time, she leapt into the air and swung her blade downward. Shuten-doji chose to meet it head-on, clenching his fist and punching upward. The collision between blade and fist created a recoil that forced Shuten-doji back a few more steps, while Miketsu was knocked back a distance before landing gracefully on the ground.

"Hmph... You’re really something. You’re the first one who’s ever been able to make this great one suffer a loss in close-quarters combat..." Shuten-doji said with a smile, his fighting spirit undiminished as he glanced at the boundary circle not far behind him.

"And you are the first opponent who has been able to last this long in a melee against me..." Miketsu replied. She was telling the truth; among all the opponents she had faced so far, only Shuten-doji could withstand the Kishin power of Dakini-ten.

"Originally, I thought I could win easily by fighting this way, but it seems I was wrong. Owl, you truly are a worthy opponent for this final showdown. Facing you, if I don't give it my all, it would be a sign of disrespect. Behold the true physical power possessed by the Ghost King, Shuten-doji!" As Shuten-doji spoke, he spread his arms wide. Subsequently, a cloud of scorching steam began to billow from his entire body, quickly obscuring his form completely.

Watching the scene before her, Miketsu did not rush to attack. In her mind, she recalled the secret lore Ao Andon had once told her regarding Shuten-doji.

"Legend says... in Mino Province, there is a peak called Mount Ibuki. A celestial maiden once descended there and fell in love with a mountain ghost, eventually giving birth to a son. Their child was both good and evil, both holy and demonic. He traveled the world and eventually stormed the demon lair of Mount Oe alone, subjugating thousands of evil spirits and calling himself the Ghost King, known as... Shuten-doji..."

As the steam gradually dissipated, Miketsu narrowed her eyes. From within the mist, a crisp voice rang out.

"I didn't expect you to know so much, but what you just said wasn't quite right. The celestial maiden of Mount Ibuki didn't just give birth to one child; she had a son and a daughter. However, this union against the heavens angered Takamagahara. At the moment the twins were born, Takamagahara sent down divine punishment. Divine lightning wiped out all life on Mount Ibuki, and the ghost who dared to profane the gods was turned to ash."

"Of the two siblings, the brother inherited more of their mother's blood and was a Child of God, so he survived the divine lightning. The sister, however, took after their father; as a Ghost Girl, she perished in that lightning tribulation. But the goddess was unwilling to give up on her daughter. She retrieved the dissipating soul and attached it to her son's body."

The steam vanished completely. Shuten-doji’s burly physique was gone, replaced by a vastly different image.

A petite frame, long golden hair, a simple dress, a small gourd at the waist, and two long ghost horns protruding from the sides of the head. Standing before Miketsu was a cute young girl with distinct ghost features. She took the gourd from her waist and gulped down two large mouthfuls of sake. Her cheeks flushed red as she looked at the slightly stunned Miketsu with a hint of drunken playfulness.

"Nice to meet you, Owl. I am... the other Shuten-doji, or rather, the other side of Shuten-doji. In terms of pure physical strength, I’m actually a bit stronger."

In the sky above East Island, Yakumo Yukari hid within a gap, carefully observing the battle between Shuten-doji and Owl below. When she saw Owl propose a new method of dueling and Shuten-doji agree to it, Yakumo Yukari couldn't help but frown.

Her goal was to wait here for Owl and Shuten-doji to wear each other down. Once both sides had exhausted their demonic power, she would strike and capture the final two strongest Yokai Lords with minimal effort. But now that Shuten-doji and Owl were fighting in a restricted melee, they might reach the end of the battle without much exhaustion at all. If that happened, her original plan would be difficult to execute.

"Hehe... It seems that Owl has truly realized what I’m trying to do. But if she thinks this alone will stop me, she’s mistaken..."

As she spoke, Yakumo Yukari began to mobilize her demonic power to construct more barriers. She intended to take advantage of the fact that Owl and Shuten-doji were still entangled with each other to prepare more barriers and traps, striking first to capture them both.

Acting ahead of schedule, striking before the battle ended—this was Yakumo Yukari’s current plan. She needed to lay down more barriers and traps.

"Even with a few surprises, you won't escape my grasp in the end..."

"Oh, is that so?"

Just as Yakumo Yukari was muttering to herself, a voice actually replied to her. Her expression froze, and she immediately turned her head toward the source of the sound. She saw that within her own gap space, another figure had appeared at some unknown time.

Matara Okina was currently standing inside Yakumo Yukari’s gap, looking at her with a faint smile.

"Yakumo Yukari, the Great Sage of Yokai, you certainly are leisurely, peeping at a match in a place like this. And from the look of it, your hands are itching to get involved. In that case, why don't I keep you company?"

Seeing the uninvited guest, Yakumo Yukari’s face darkened. The gap that had been open above East Island snapped shut, and the space returned to normal. Within that separate dimension, a confrontation unknown to the world had quietly begun. For the time being, Yakumo Yukari was unable to interfere with reality.